FREE CRST Incident Investigation Methods Questions and Answers

Question 1

A minor incident occurs where a worker slips on a small oil patch but is not injured.
A supervisor cleans the spill and tells the worker to be more careful.
From a modern safety management perspective, what is the primary failure in this response?

Accepted Answer

The opportunity to identify and correct the root cause of the spill was missed.

Answer

The supervisor failed to discipline the worker for inattention.

Answer

The incident was not reported to the provincial workers' compensation board.

Answer

The supervisor performed the cleanup instead of a designated cleaning crew.

Question 2

Which of the following is the primary objective of a root cause analysis (RCA) during an incident investigation?

Accepted Answer

To identify and correct underlying safety management system deficiencies.

Answer

To determine the sequence of events and the direct cause of the incident.

Answer

To satisfy the minimum legal reporting requirements for the jurisdiction.

Answer

To assign accountability to the individuals involved in the incident.

Question 3

An investigator is using the "5 Whys" technique to understand an equipment failure. What is the fundamental process of this method?

Accepted Answer

Sequentially asking "Why?" to trace the cause-and-effect chain to a systemic failure.

Answer

Asking five different witnesses for their perspective on the failure.

Answer

Brainstorming five potential causes in a group setting.

Answer

Identifying five key contributing factors from a standardized checklist.

Question 4

Immediately following a serious incident involving a machine, what is the most critical first step for the responding supervisor after ensuring medical aid is provided and the scene is safe from immediate danger?

Accepted Answer

Securing the scene to preserve evidence.

Answer

Interviewing all witnesses while their memories are fresh.

Answer

Repairing the machine to minimize production downtime.

Answer

Notifying the provincial ministry of labour of the incident.

Question 5

James Reason's "Swiss Cheese Model" is a widely used framework for analyzing incident causation. What do the "holes" in the slices of cheese represent in this model?

Accepted Answer

Failures and weaknesses in the system's layers of defence.

Answer

Unsafe acts committed by frontline workers.

Answer

The number of injuries resulting from an incident.

Answer

Random, unpredictable events that cannot be prevented.

Question 6

During an incident investigation, it was found that an employee removed a required machine guard to clear a jam. How would this action typically be classified in a cause analysis?

Accepted Answer

An indirect cause (or contributing factor)

Answer

A root cause

Answer

A latent failure

Answer

A direct cause

A minor incident occurs where a worker slips on a small oil patch but is not injured.A supervisor cleans the spill and tells the worker to be more careful.From a modern safety management perspective, what is the primary failure in this response?

A minor incident occurs where a worker slips on a small oil patch but is not injured.
A supervisor cleans the spill and tells the worker to be more careful.
From a modern safety management perspective, what is the primary failure in this response?